171 Vacheron Constantin An impressive, historically important and rare, Jump Hour, rectangular shape manual wristwatch in white gold, the only one known, with silvered dial, hinged caseback, white gold bracelet and Extract.
Estimate: € 200.000 – 400.000
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- Model Jump Hour
- Year 1930
- Case Material 18K white gold
- Case Number 257'104
- Bracelet Material 14K white gold bracelet, approximate length 185mm
- Movement Manual, cal. R.A. 10" 15/12 PC, 18 jewels
- Movement Number 414'098
- Dimension 25.5mm width x 40.5mm length
- Signed Case, dial and movement
- Accessories Accompanied by Vacheron Constantin Extract from the Archives, confirming the production of the present timepiece in 1930.
A remarkable survivor from the formative years of digital time display, the present Vacheron Constantin Jump Hour wristwatch, manufactured in 1930, is an exceptionally rare and historically important creation. Accompanied by a Vacheron Constantin Extract from the Archives confirming its production in 1930, the watch is preserved in an elegant rectangular 18K white gold case, featuring a hinged back and integrated lugs. It is further fitted with a rare C+B 14K white gold bracelet, complementing the architectural lines of the case. Its unusual display provides a fascinating interpretation of the Jump Hour concept: the hour is shown through a square aperture at 12 o’clock, while the minutes are indicated by a semi-circular sector positioned between the centre and 6 o’clock. Unlike many contemporary Jump Hour watches by Audemars Piguet, Cartier and other manufacturers, which dispensed with a conventional dial and crystal in favour of apertures cut directly into the case to reveal the rotating discs, the present Vacheron Constantin retains a true dial and crystal. (Interestingly, the back of the dial is stamped with the movement number 414098, matching the number engraved on the movement). This configuration represents a particularly sophisticated approach to the genre. A comparable solution was employed by Patek Philippe on a small number of tonneau-shaped Jump Hour watches, incorporating a conventional dial and crystal. Decades later, this distinctive aesthetic would be revived by Patek Philippe in the celebrated Ref. 3969, created for the Maison’s 150th anniversary. During the 1920s and 1930s, digital displays enjoyed considerable popularity, offering an immediate and intuitive method of reading the time. Numerous anonymous examples were produced, often with chromed cases, reflecting the widespread fascination with this modern form of horological communication. Among the most significant movements developed for such watches were those of Niton S.A., founded in Geneva in 1919 by three watchmakers, two of whom had previously worked at Vacheron Constantin. Niton supplied movements to several prestigious Swiss maisons and registered a patent for its Jump Hour mechanism in 1928. The company was subsequently acquired by Ebauches S.A. in 1938, the group that would ultimately become ETA. According to Vacheron Constantin, fewer than five examples of this model were made. The present watch is, to the best of our knowledge, the sole example to have appeared on the market, making it an extraordinary rarity and a compelling document of the Maison’s pioneering approach to digital timekeeping.
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GENEVA
Eternity Gallery Geneva, 19 Place de Longemalle
HONG KONG
Opera Gallery Hong Kong, 1 Duddell Street, Unit 01, 11/F, Central
MILANO
Portrait Milano Hotel, Corso Venezia, 11
BOLOGNA
Time on Show Bologna, Viale della Fiera, 20